Environmental DNA in Herpetofauna: Prospects and Limitations for Terrestrial Monitoring

Amphibians and reptiles are declining at a global scale, with a large share of species threatened by extinction, yet both groups remain notoriously understudied in many regions, hampering effective protection and management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology is transforming biomonitoring worldwide and is particularly relevant for species of conservation concern that are difficult to monitor with traditional methods (camera traps, visual surveys, capture-mark-recapture). This is especially true in terrestrial systems, where eDNA research has lagged far behind aquatic applications.Reptiles and amphibians are often assumed to be poor candidates for eDNA-based monitoring: reptiles due to limited DNA shedding from keratinized scales and concentrated waste products, and terrestrial eDNA more broadly due to the technical challenges of detecting and preserving DNA signal in soil, litter, or air compared to water. If these limitations cannot be resolved, terrestrial vertebrate biomonitoring loses one of its most promising emerging tools.The overriding goal of this Research Topic is to advance eDNA research in terrestrial herpetofauna, covering both amphibians and reptiles. Through a series of contributions, the aim is to:i) summarize the current state of knowledge on terrestrial eDNA methods for amphibians and reptiles, and identify the main knowledge gaps; ii) present case studies and proof-of-principle work that illustrate both the prospects and the technical challenges of this approach; iii) present new or refined methods that advance eDNA detection, extraction, or analysis in terrestrial contexts for herpetofauna.We welcome contributions spanning both taxa individually and studies that bridge amphibian and reptile eDNA methodology, as terrestrial sampling and detection challenges are often shared across both groups. These contributions will help establish guidelines, inform study design, and set realistic expectations for using eDNA as a biomonitoring tool for terrestrial herpetofauna, while setting the scene for future research in this space. Topic editors: Morten Allentoft, Robert Jehle Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/64747/environmental-dna-in-herpetofauna-prospects-and-limitations-for-terrestrial-monitoring